Joseph



No. 617,355,. Patented Ian. l0, I899.

J. .0. REED. LIQUID DISTRIBUTING DEVICE.

, (Application flledMar, 9, 1898.\

(No Model.)

fitter/nus m: NORRIS Prrzns cu, P'HoTD-uwo" WASHINGTOI}. u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH O. REED, OF 'WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR OF ON E-I'IALF TO THOMAS G. ALVORD, OF SAME PLACE.

LIQUID-DISTRIBUTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 617,355, dated January 10, 1899.

Application filed March 9 1898.

To all whom, it may concern Be it known that I, J OSEPH O. REED, a citizen of the United States, residing at VVashington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Liquid Distributing Devices; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which 10 it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to an improved liquid-distributing device; and it is embodied in the construction hereinafter described, and

defined in the claims.

Generally speaking, the invention is an improvement on that class of devices generally used for dampenin gor moistening the surfaces or objects, such as the leaves of letter-press copy-books, gum surfaces, (to.

I-Ieretofore it has been suggested to employ fountains of various forms for use in connection with moisteners or distributors, so that the moistening fluid is at all times convenient for application and the necessity of aseparate 2 5 reservoir or pan is avoided. In many cases the fountains, which are usually the handle portion of the dampening device, have been formed with flexible sections or portions and in some cases have been made entirely of 0 flexible material, the purpose of such con.- struction being that by pressing the flexible section or portion the fluid contained within the handle or fount will be expelled onto or into the spreading member, which has usually 3 5 contained either a brush, a sponge, or some porous material, such as wicking, as far as I am now advised. In such devices many objections are found to exist, one of which is that the liquid expelled from the fount is not 6 quickly and equally distributed, thereby preventing a thorough moistening of the distributing member. When a pad has been used, the thorough moistening is acquired largely by the moisture seeking gradually and slowly the various points of the pad through the agency of capillary attraction. When the brush is used, the liquid is merely deposited at or near the center of the same, and to spread the liquid or fluid on the surface of the object being treated it requires Serial No. 673,184. (No model.)

the repeated application of the brush, which latter is relied on for effecting the distribution, usually after the liquid has been deposited on a surface. When a sponge or spongysubstance is used for a distributor, it is quite impossible to secure an even distribution, and such has been found to be very unsatisfactory.

A My invention is designed to overcome the various objections existing in devices heretofore suggested, and it may be stated to consist, primarily, in an applying device of the fountain type having a porous flexible dis-v tributing-pad made in the form of a sack, into which the liquid is injected, the shape of the sack being such that an equal, even, and smooth distribution of the liquid is easily secured. The invention further consists in features and arrangement of parts presently to be described.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown a device embodying the invention, but desire it understood that the invention is not limited to the particular construction therein delineated.

In the drawings, Figure l is an edge elevation of the device-embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is a central section on line y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section on the line a; 00, Fig.

1; and-Fig. 4 is an elevation, the front face being broken away. 7

In thedrawings, A designates a fount or receptacle having a flexible bottom a, which is used in awell-known manner as a diaphragm for expelling the liquid contained in the fount 8 5 or receptacle. From the upper end of the receptacle extends the removable spoutor discharge-tube B, conveniently of tapered. formation. The parts above referred to are of any desired or known formation and in themselves form no part of this invention, and in such connection I desire it understood that any form of fount of known type having a flexible part or section or other means for expelling the liquid contained therein may be employed in connection with the invention. Secured to the base of and surrounding the spout at a point immediately above its connection with the fount is what I term a holder O, the lower end orv apex being con- 10o veniently connected rigidly to the spout. This holder I have shown as being of substantially V- shaped formation and hollow, the same surrounding the spout and extending up to a point below the plane of the top of the spout or nozzle portion thereof. The rear wall 0 of this holder is carried up and curved backward, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, and forms what I term a support. This support extends above the plane of the spout for purposes presently to be stated. The holder 0 has flat sides inclining slightly from their lower portion to their upper edge and being separated at their upper edge a distance sufficient to permit of the insertion of the pad D. This pad D is so fashioned that it will completely occupy the upper portion of the holder and is fitted therein, the lower edge being some distance below the upper edge of the hollow holder. To secure the pad in the holder firmly, I conveniently press the fiat and parallel sides of the upper edge of the holder down onto the sides of that portion of the pad which extends into the holder and employ suitable rivets or eyelets, as at cl. Any other means for securing the pad in the holder may, however, be employed. The pad D is formed of a sack or what I term a sackpad --that is to say, it is formed with a hollow center and has walls which are conveniently of uniform thickness, the edges of the pad being closed by suitable stitches or other means, except at the lower central portion, where an opening is left,- through which the projecting end of the spout Bis extended into the hollow center of the sack-pad. This pad is made conveniently of felt, although other material may be employed, and is flexible, the longitudinal spreading face being substantially straight, so that an even distribution of the fluid may be had. The pad extends for some distance above the edge of the hollow portion of the holder and the end of the spout, and, as above stated, the spout enters the interior of the sack, so that the liquid from the fountis discharged directly into the sack. To close the material closely around the end of the spout, the sides of the holder are pressed toward each other onto the materials surrounding the spout, thus effectually preventing the escape of the water or fluid from the opening through which the spout passes. I have found that the flat hollow-shaped pad is desirable in that the same presents an extended smooth surface and the liquid can be more quickly and readily forced throughout the entire interior than were it of other shape. To successfully employ a pad of this character, I find it convenient to form a back rest E, as shown and above referred to. The pad,

projecting up beyond the edge of the holder proper, is, when force is applied to the spreading face thereof, forced on the rest or support and is held thereby in proper position for use. As the rest is gradually curved back, it serves to prevent the pad from being forced over the end of the spout, and to further revent this I conveniently,although not necessarily, bend the end of the spout toward the rest, as shown in Fig. 2. I have also found that by placing a waterproof shield on the opposite sides of the nozzle of the spout that the back suction or the movement of the pad over the end of the spout is prevented from stopping or interferin g with the passage of the fluid through the spout when force is applied to the movable part of the fount. These shields F are secured to the pad at their lower edges in any desirable manner and, as above stated, are arranged at the back and across the front of the spout. In addition to the functions above suggested for these shields they also perform the function of creating a very rapid distribution of the water as it issues from the spout, the same at that point being uninterrupted by the felt and allowed to pass easily and smoothly over the waterproof material.

In this specification I have used the word sack as distinguishing the characteristic of the pad and to distinguish it from that class of devices wherein a single piece of material is used against which the water is forced; but I desire it understood that the term is used to comprehend not only a strictlyspeaking sack formation, but a flexible pad having a hollow interior into which the water is injected and is closed to prevent the escape of the water except through the material itself. I have also suggested the use for which the pad is well intended; but I desire it understood that the same may be used for various other purposes than those mentioned. I am also aware that many minor changes in the construction and arrangement of parts can be made and substituted for those shown and described without in the least departing from the nature and principle of the invention.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- 1. In a liquid-distributing device, the combination with a fount having means for forcibly expelling liquid therefrom, of a distributing-head comprising ahollow flexible porous sack and a conduit leading from the fount into the sack, substantially as described.

2. In a distributing device, the combination with a fount having means for forcibly expelling the liquid therefrom and a spout, of a distributing-head comprising a hollow flexible porous sack, a holder for the sack and a support for maintaining the sack in proper position for use, substantially as described.

In a distributer, the combination witha fount, of a holder thereon, a distributing-head secured in the holder consisting of flexible porous material having a closed, hollow interior and an injecting-spout communicaa.

ing with the interior and connected with the fount.

4. In a distributer, the combination with a fount,of a spreader thereon comprising ai'lexible porous distributing-head having a hollow interior, a curved rest arranged in the rear of the head and an injecting-spout leadingfrom the fount into the interior of the head.

5. In a distributer, the combination with a fount, of a holder extending therefrom, a hollow flexible porous distributinghead supported in the holder and projecting above the same, a rest for the head, a spout leading from the fount into the head and means for securing the head to the holder, substantially as described.

6. In a distributing device, the combination with a fount, of a pad-holder thereon consisting of a holder portion and a rest portion eX- tending from the same, a porous pad having its distributing-face opposite the rest portion, and a closed fluid-space back of the distributin g-face and a conduit leading from the fount into the fluid-distributing space.

7. In a distributer, the combination with a fount, of a holder thereon, asack-shaped por ous pad secured in the holder, a spout leading from the fount into the interior of the pad and having a curved upper discharge end, substantially as described.-

8. In a distributer, the combination of a holder, a sackshaped porous pad secured in the holder, a spout leading from the fount into the interior of the pad and a shield within the pad adjacent to the end of the spout.

9. In a distributer device, the combination with a fount, of a substantially V-shaped holder supported thereon having a hollow interior, a hollow porous pad secured between the sides of the holder, arest projecting from the upper edge of the holder back of the pad, and a spout extending from the fount through the holder and into the pad.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JOSEPH O. REED.

Witnesses:

CHAS. W. PARKER, M. G. KEARNEY. 

